North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters

The North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters (NCSRCC) is an organization that represents nearly 27,000 union members and their families from 36 locals in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The NCSRCC was chartered on March 20, 1989 by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC), one of North America's first unions. The UBC represents more than half of a million Carpenters, Floor Coverers, Lathers, Millwrights, Pile Drivers, and Industrial workers in the United States and Canada.

History
In Minnesota, the first Carpenters Locals were chartered in Minneapolis in 1881 and in St. Paul in 1885. The Twin City Carpenters District Council was founded in 1915 to build strength for the Union Locals throughout the area. The Millwrights were already a part of the Brotherhood and additional crafts joined later: Pile Drivers in 1937, Floor Coverers in 1940, and the Lathers in 1979.

In 1988, the UBC began to merge Local Unions and created the Minnesota Statewide District Council. In 1994, jurisdictions changed again. Locals 361, 606, and 1348 were spun off; they eventually teamed with North Dakota Locals 1091 and 1176 to form the North Central Regional Council.

Locals in the rest of Minnesota became Carpenters District Council of Southern Minnesota. In 1997, when jurisdiction expanded into South Dakota, that council adopted the Lakes and Plains name. Lakes and Plains and North Central Regional Council (Northern Minnesota) merged in 2003.

In Wisconsin, the Carpenters Union dates back to the early 1900s. Northern Wisconsin Regional Council had its roots in Greater Fox River Valley District Council, which was formed by the merger of Fox River Valley Area Council, Wisconsin River Valley Area Council, Eau Claire Carpenters Local 1074 and LaCrosse Carpenters Local 1143. In 1999, the organization restructured into Northern Wisconsin Regional Council. In 2001, the Council's jurisdiction expanded to include Madison Carpenters Local 314 and other southern parts of the state.

North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters was formed on November 1, 2007, when the UBC merged Lakes and Plains Regional Council with Northern Wisconsin Regional Council. In July 2010, North Central States Regional Council welcomed 3,000 members from five locals in Nebraska, and central and western Iowa.

In January 2016, North Central States Regional Council welcomed 4,350 members from eight locals in eastern Iowa and the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin. In March 2019, North Central States Regional Council welcomed 1,600 members from ten industrial locals in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Union Structure
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) is the international organization who, with the UBC Constitution, governs the entire 500,000 plus membership. There are districts throughout the UBC that separate geographic areas. There are five districts that each have their own elected vice president. The leadership of each district is elected by General Convention Delegates.

In each district, there are councils that represent the many craft locals in a select group of states or regions across the UBC. Leadership of the councils are elected by council members and locals. The North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters is a council in the Midwestern District of the UBC.

Local unions represent the individual members of a skilled craft in their immediate geographic area, covering a city, portion of a state, or multi-state regions. Local leadership is elected by members. The North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters represents nearly 27,000 members across 36 locals.

Leadership
The NCSRCC has an executive board and staff leadership. The executive board is elected by a delegation of members representing the 36 various locals across the six-state council. The Executive Secretary-Treasurer (EST) leads the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters. The current EST is Patrick M. Nilsen. Nilsen has been serving the NCSRCC since April 2022.